General
Golf balls fall for all
Mar 31st
COSTA MESA — The wind off a helicopter hovering over the field kicked up a small dirt storm that swept over waiting students and parents.
Many youngsters pulled their powder blue shirts over their mouths and noses to keep out the dust, but most eyes were still open and transfixed as 3,080 golf balls were dropped from the helicopter.
“I liked it,” said first-grader Lauren Tebbs, 6. “It looked like it was raining golf balls.”
St. Joachim Catholic School hosted its on-campus helicopter golf ball drop fundraiser for the first time Wednesday afternoon to begin its annual golf tournament, a benefit at the Costa Mesa Country Club.
The school is trying to raise money to update its technology, buy new computers and keep tuition prices low so that families don’t get priced out, which would lead to a decline in student diversity, said Principal Sister Kathleen Marie.
“It’s something we depend upon so much,” she said.
The balls were pre-sold for $10 apiece. The balls closest to nine golf course flags placed on the field were awarded prizes of $100, $500, $5,000, an iPad or an electric Razor scooter.
Lauren said she bought 15 golf balls and was hoping to win the top prize to buy “hamster toys because I have a hamster named Cucumber.”
Luck wasn’t on Lauren’s side, but one of the balls she sold was the $500 winner.
While the students were beyond themselves with excitement when the balls dropped, they brought just as much enthusiasm to the task of gathering them up.
The younger children sprinted on to the field toward the mass of white in what resembled the world’s most exciting Easter egg hunt.
Marcos Kehoe, 4, one of the smallest children on the field, used his shirt to hold his 10 golf balls while he ran to drop them off and get a Popsicle.
“I got 10 — yay!” he exclaimed, wearing a huge grin.
From www.dailypilot.com
St. Joseph by-the-Sea @ St. Peter’s Boys – Boys Golf
Mar 31st
Spade, Sea top St. Peter’s in boys’ golf
Staten Island Advance, March 30, 2011 9:31 p.m.
St. Joseph by-the-Sea’s Billy Spade topped St. Peter’s Mike Coughlin on the second extra hole to help the Vikings register a 3 1/2-1 1/2 CHSAA victory on Wednesday at the South Shore CC.
When the top three flights ended all-square, league rules dictated that a team must win three individual matches to get the win in the standings.
Sea’s Nick Bavaro halved a No. 1 match with Steve Compitiello, as both shot 39. Sea’s Jack D’Anna halved the second flight with Ryan Campbell, as both shot 38.
Spade and Coughlin halved the third flight.
Sea’s fourth flighter, Steve Gennario, defeated James Duffy 3 and 2 while the Vikings’ fifth flighter, Joe Colini, upended Nick Diamantis 2-up.
Compitiello and Bavaro, meanwhile, finished tied after two extra holes before Compitiello won the third extra hole to put the Eagles in the win column.
Spade, however, secured the match for the Vikings when he defeated Coughlin in the second extra hole.
From highschoolsports.silive.com
Michelle Wie ready to return to contention for major titles
Mar 30th
Michelle Wie ready to return to contention for major titles
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — Michelle Wie nearly won her first major title in the Kraft Nabisco Championship, firing a third-round 66 on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club to vault up the leaderboard and into Sunday’s final group.
By Scott Halleran, Getty Images
Michelle Wie made her first major mark at teh 2003 Kraft Nabisco Championship as a 13-year-old. Now, at 21, she’s a two-time LPGA winner but still looking for her first major title.
In 2003.
When she was 13.
“A couple of people already asked me how was it when you were 13 playing here, and it’s so long ago. It’s crazy thinking about it,” said Wie, who took finals last week at Stanford University where she is a senior. “There are so many good memories here, and it’s always a pleasure to come back. The conditions are great. And it’s nice and warm, which is good. It’s exciting to be here this week.
- KRAFT NABISCO: Yani Tseng aims to say No. 1
- TEE TIMES: Kraft Nabisco Championship
- AT A GLANCE: This week in golf
- MORE COVERAGE: Kraft Nabisco Championship
“It’s as exciting this year as it was when I was 13. It would mean the world to me if I could do that this week.”
She’s not alone. In the past four years, four players —Morgan Pressel, Lorena Ochoa, Brittany Lincicome and world No. 1 Yani Tseng — have earned their first Kraft Nabisco Championship title. This year Wie and seven others in the top 10 of the Rolex World Rankings are looking to do the same.
That includes No. 3 Cristie Kerr, who has five top-fives here. The two-time major champion’s best chance came in 2009, when she finished in a tie for second. On the 15th tee that day, she had a one-shot lead but hit her tee shot out of bounds. A last hole birdie left her one shot short when Lincicome made eagle on the closing hole.
“The course is in fabulous shape. It’s playing kind of soft in the fairways and kind of firm and fast on the greens, which is how a major usually plays,” Kerr said. “I’ve always loved this golf course. This is a major championship golf course. There’s nothing tricky about it. It’s straight ahead of you and it’s tough. I like those kinds of courses, just like U.S. Open courses. You have to know if you miss shots where to miss them. It’s more of a chess game than just playing an every-day tournament. You have to kind of know where to move your pieces around the board.
“I’ve had a lot of close calls here. I’m ready for the challenge to try and play every day the best I can, and hopefully at the end of the week, it will add up to some good things.”
Good things are expected from No. 5 Suzann Pettersen, who won the 2007 LPGA Championship. Pettersen has tied for second twice, finished second once and tied for fifth in the last four years here.
Other top-10 contenders include No. 2 Jiyai Shin, who finished second last week in Los Angeles; No. 4 Na Yeon Choi; No. 6 Ai Miyazato; No. 7 I.K. Kim, No. 10 Paula Creamer and Wie, currently ranked No. 8.
Wie is looking to win her third career LPGA title and first major championship. After a strong start to her career in majors — seven top-10s in her first 11 tries, all as an amateur — Wie has not really contended since 2006.
“With this golf course, you have to be on top of your game to contend,” Wie said. “And with so many great players, you have to be playing your best to win. So many players can win this week. I’ll just try as hard as I can and we’ll see what happens.”
From www.usatoday.com
Men’s Golf Wins Butler Spring Invitational
Mar 30th
March 29, 2011
AVON, Ind. – The Purdue men’s golf team posted Tuesday’s low round to run away with the Butler Spring Invitational title, outdistancing the field by 20 strokes.
The Boilermakers followed Monday’s even-par 288 with a team score of 290 (+2) in the second round to finish with a total of 578 for the event. IUPUI and Loyola (Ill.) tied for second place at 598, 20 strokes behind Purdue.
Junior William Sjaichudin fired a two-under 70 – his fifth-straight round at par or better – on Tuesday to cruise to his second individual medal in as many events, winning the tournament with a score of 136 (-8).
Junior Tyler Duncan also shot 70 on Tuesday to bring his total to an even-par 144, good for sole possession of fourth place. Freshmen Adam Schenk and Sam Fu finished in ties for 11th and 17th, respectively, with totals of 148 (+4) and 150 (+6).
Senior Erich Johnston withdrew on Tuesday, while senior Nakarintra Ratanakul tied for 26th with a total of 152 (+8) as an individual.
The Boilermakers will be off until April 16, when they begin competition at the Illini Spring Classic.
From www.purduesports.com
Grover Norquist’s new trilogy: golf, cocaine and ethanol
Mar 30th
Grover Norquist’s new trilogy: golf, cocaine and ethanol 
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla. has been pushing hard for a Senate vote to end a $5 billion tax credit for ethanol. To win this Dr. Coburn — he is an ob/gyn — will have to contend with Senate Democratic big Harry Reid, farm-state Republicans and, of course, Grover Norquist.
Bloomberg
Grover Norquist, ethanol’s new best friend
It was Norquist, by the way, who told the Washington Post’s Ezra Klein that it is a waste of time for D.C. Repubs to negotiate with Democrats. Quoth Norquist, “I think golf and cocaine would (be) more constructive ways to spend one’s free time than negotiating with Democrats on spending restraint.”
The feud between Cobrun and Norquist is heating up. This week Coburn and Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform exchanged letters. ATR essentially hit Coburn for trying to raise taxes, by ending the subsidy. Essentially, ATR argues:
“the ethanol tax credit is not a spending program, despite your repeated attempts to claim that it is. According to the Joint Tax Committee (JCX-54-10), your amendment would increase taxes by $4.869 billion over the next two years. Repealing the ethanol credit is the right thing to do, but other taxes must be reduced in the same legislation by at least this much to prevent a net tax increase.”
Coburn responded by noting that Norquist made the same demands to protect a $246 million tax earmark for Hollywood movie producers. And:
“By opposing my amendment you are defending wasteful spending and a de facto tax increase on every American.”
Now it’s a scary day when anti-tax groups sound like Congressional appropriators, who look at funds that add to the deficit as not really spending. Norquist and company say the oppose the ethanol tax credit, but they act to the contrary. They have to realize that they simply are making it harder to cut corporate welfare and federal spending — and apparently they don’t care.
With friends like Grover Norquist, who needs Harry Reid?
Posted By: Debra J. Saunders (Email, Twitter) | March 30 2011 at 10:08 AM
From www.sfgate.com
Tseng Out to Defend Title in LPGA’s First Major of the Year
Mar 30th
Tseng Out to Defend Title in LPGA’s First Major of the Year
Based on her performances so far in 2011, Yani Tseng is unquestionably the top player in women’s golf. The diminutive native of Taiwan has four victories worldwide this year. She returns to Rancho Mirage, Calif., to defend her title in the LPGA Tour’s first major of the year, the Kraft Nabisco Championship.
“I feel really excited to come back,” Tseng said Tuesday after playing nine practice on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club. “Especially walking down the 18th, I saw my name was on the walk of champions and that brought me lots of good memories. And then I came over (the bridge), and that’s the water I jumped in.”
Tseng, of course, is referring to the annual ritual of the Kraft Nabisco winner jumping into the water hazard alongside the 18th green. The 22-year-old took the dive last year into Poppy’s Pond.
Others in the elite field are well aware of Tseng’s prowess. Karrie Webb, who won the LPGA’s latest tournament – the Founders Cup in Phoenix – is among the admirers. “Yani is a very, very talented player and she’s very, very long,” said the Australian, who won here in 2000 and ’06.
“I’ve played with her quite a few rounds already this year and one of the reasons why she’s playing so well is she’s hitting it long and straight,” added the LPGA Hall of Fame member. “She’s not hitting too many wild tee shots which then sets up relatively simple iron shots for her. And when she gets her putter going, there are weeks that she really dominates.”
Michelle Wie, who made her debut in the Kraft Nabisco at the age of 13, is also impressed with Tseng. “She’s a really wonderful player,” said Wie, now 21. “I think she’s really improved over the last couple years, and she’s a good player. I mean, really doing really well this year.
“Obviously I saw her play in Thailand, and it’s pretty amazing that she won the first couple of tournaments in a row, which is pretty good. So I think she’s a really good player and someone to look at this year.”
Here’s what Tseng had to say during her session with reporters on Tuesday afternoon.
MODERATOR: We are here with defending champion and Rolex Rankings No. 1 Yani Tseng. Can you just talk a little bit about how it feels to come back after your tremendous win last year here?
YANI TSENG: I feel really excited to come back. Especially walking on the 18th hole I see my name was on the walk of champions, and it was so exciting, bring me lots of good memories to walk down the 18th hole. And then I just came over, and that’s the water I jumped in. My caddie threw a coin to wish I could win the tournament this week, too. It was very exciting for me to see all the fans, all the media again, but hopefully this week will be a good week.
MODERATOR: You’ve had a great season so far, won four times worldwide including the season-opening tournament in Thailand. How are you feeling about your game heading into the week?
YANI TSENG: I feel really confident. I played eight, nine holes today and nine holes yesterday, and course is in great shape, and I love this course. And then putting I need to get the speed getting better, and then I work on my putting work and I feel very confident right now.
Q. What is it about this golf course that you and so many players seem to like?
YANI TSENG: I think the par-5s are very exciting. They’re reachable par-5s for us. And then some of the holes are dogleg left and dogleg right and that’s more exciting. It’s not like driving every hole; you need to hit a 3-wood, hit a rescue off the tee. It’s a very strategy golf course, and you just need to play smart. And sometimes — I’m an aggressive player but I couldn’t be aggressive. If you be aggressive on some of the holes it’s not good, so I just need to learn how to play smarter this week.
Q. Have you had a chance to check out the rough this week?
YANI TSENG: I know, it was tough. It’s so thick. Even the first cut was thick, too, and I just kind of hit some shots on the first cut of rough. Some of the balls didn’t roll so much but some did, so it’s very hard to adjust, so I just do my best to see how I can control in the rough. Just hopefully it will stay on the fairway all the time.
Q. Can you talk about your power? What’s the secret to your power, and have you always hit it long?
YANI TSENG: I think the secret is because when I was young, like the first time I started playing golf, my coach teach me just hit it as hard as you can, don’t care where the ball is. So I kind of hit it as hard as I can every time like for two years. I didn’t even know where my ball was going, but I just hit it hard. I think that’s where I get the power from. But this whole year I realized you need to work out to stay on the Tour because everybody works out, everybody gets so strong, very powerful, so this year I’ve been working out a lot than when I was an amateur, so I think that helps my power, too.
Q. (No microphone.)
YANI TSENG: 20.
Q. (No microphone.)
YANI TSENG: When I was five or six. It was fun. It’s fun for me when you tell the kids just hit it as hard as you can. Even now sometimes I hit it hard, too.
Q. At what point did you stop with that strategy, the just-hit-it-hard strategy?
YANI TSENG: After two years. Yeah, after two years my coach said, okay, let’s work on the swing to make it better trajectory and then make everything consistent.
Q. And also, when you lived in Beaumont, did you come out here much?
YANI TSENG: No, my mom is here, my mom is going to stay home in Beaumont because she brings lots of friends here. It was fun, and I think I’ll go back to have dinner with them tonight. My sister still lives there, so it’s going to be a big crowd this week.
Q. When you used to live there did you come and play and practice here?
YANI TSENG: Yeah, sometimes, because Beaumont weather is really hard. You don’t know if it’s going to snow today or not, so sometimes I come out here to practice, and then the members and the club, they were very nice here and really welcome the players who come here to practice, so it was very sweet of them.
Q. Have you had any recent contact with Annika Sorenstam?
YANI TSENG: Yeah, I was in Orlando the last three weeks but I didn’t see Annika, I saw Ava because she’s always walking and she’s really cute. I didn’t see her for a long time, and then I heard she’s going to have a new baby really soon, and I wish her all the best.
Q. When was the last time — you had some sort of coaching session, right?
YANI TSENG: Yeah, that was at the beginning of this year I went to her house and just asked a couple questions for this year because I know I’m going to have lots and lots of pressure this year, and I don’t – sometimes I even don’t want to talk about that, but she told me to face it and you can prepare for every tournament when you face to it. After a couple weeks it will be so much easier for you, and I think that works pretty well, and it helps a lot, too.
The transcript for the above interview is courtesy of ASAP Sports.
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From www.cybergolf.com
Suspects fled through Augusta National grounds, deputies say
Mar 30th
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Richmond County sheriff’s deputies say they chased men believed to be suspects in an early morning home invasion on Wheeler Road onto the grounds of the Augusta National Golf Club early this morning.
Richmond County sheriff’s Investigator Darrell Turner said the suspects fled onto the grounds of the golf course.
They are believed to be the same men who had entered the home of a legally blind resident in the 2500 block of Wheeler Road around midnight. One of the men was armed with a sawed-off shotgun, Turner said. The men demanded money and forced the victim to the floor.
Turner said a deputy spotted men fleeing in the area and chased them toward the Augusta National, where two of the suspects climbed a fence and entered the course. Security staff at the golf course joined the chase but the suspects were not apprehended.
Deputies say they later arrested Justice Ellison, 26, of the 1900 block of Central Avenue, at his home, charging him with burglary, armed robbery and possession of a firearm.
From chronicle.augusta.com
Shell renews contract with Houston Open
Mar 30th
Shell renews contract with Houston Open
HUMBLE, Texas
Shell Oil Co. has agreed to a five-year extension as the title sponsor of the Houston Open.
The oil giant has been the tournament’s title sponsor since 1992, the third-longest tenure on the PGA Tour. The event dates to 1946, and is the 10th oldest tournament on the tour.
“To me, this is much more than a golf tournament,” Shell president Marvin Odum said. “It is an opportunity for us to give back to the city and citizens of Houston through charitable contributions.”
Since Shell became the lead sponsor, the tournament has raised more than $50 million for the Houston Golf Association to contribute to regional, youth-based charities. Last year, the tournament generated about $2.1 million for charities.
“Shell Oil Company has given our event great stability and its support has enabled our organization to continue to positively impact the lives of young people every year,” HGA president and CEO Steve Timms said.
The Houston Open begins Thursday at Redstone Golf Club, its host site since 2003. It moved from the Members Course to the adjacent Tournament Course in 2006.
Anthony Kim is the defending champion this year. Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington and Lee Westwood are also here, using the event to tune up for next week’s Masters.
From www.businessweek.com
TGI Golf continues to support PGA Professionals of the future
Mar 30th
TGI Golf, Europe’s leading buying group for golf Professionals, has continued its commitment to support up and coming PGA Professionals by recognising the top assistants from around the country.
The TGI Golf PGA Assistant Professional of the Year Awards honour the best trainee Professionals from around the PGA’s seven regions – Scotland, Ireland, North, South, East, West and Midlands.
The top assistant from each of three year groups was recognised for their hard work and dedication throughout the year with a cheque of £250 going to Year One and Two winners, and £500 to Year Three, courtesy of TGI Golf.
Eddie Reid, TGI Golf Managing Director, said: “Every year the young assistants continue to raise the bar, setting new standards. This season has been no different with some fantastic achievements from these extremely promising PGA Professionals of the future.
“Congratulations to all those assistants who have collected awards and I wish them all the best for their future careers.”
Sandy Jones, PGA Chief Executive, added: “We are delighted that this year TGI Golf has once again supported the PGA training programme by presenting awards to the most successful assistants in each year across all our regions.
“The standard of young golf professionals emerging from the PGA Academy has never been higher – that is why the support of TGI Golf is so valuable as it not only rewards our young people for their hard work during their training period but gives them the recognition they thoroughlydeserve and which will stand them in good stead throughout their careers.”
Full winners list:
East
Year 1: Jack Cole (Regiment Way, Chelmsford)
Year 2: Daniel Titheradge (Saffron Walden)
Year 3: Oliver Rush (Haverhill)
Irish
Padraig McGrath (P&M Golf Superstore, Castlefergus)
Emmet Staunton (The Hermitage, Dublin)
Donal Scott (Edmondstown, Dublin)
Midlands
Sam Jarman (Collingtree Park, Northampton)
Mark Skinner (Boston)
Daniel Parkin (The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield)
North
Edward Cartwright (Bradford)
Mark Robson (Ganton)
Mark Pilling (Prestbury, Macclesfield)
Scottish
Grant Smith (Gleneagles)
David Patrick (Elie, Fife)
Alan Gibson (Troon, Ayrshire)
South
Christopher Murtagh (Blue Mountain, Bracknell)
Andre Bell (La Moye, Jersey)
Clive Bowler (Badgemore Park, Henley-on-Thames)
West
Lee Marshall (Thornbury, Bristol)
Alistair Welsher (Taunton & Pickeridge)
Robert Watkins (Celtic Manor)
For more information about TGI Golf visit www.tgigolf.com.
Media contact
Matthew Millard
Landmark Media
Tel: 01780 752790
Email: matt@landmark-media.com
From www.worldgolf.com
‘Levis JCC Golf Classic’ to honor Mel Gutmann
Mar 30th
Each year, longtime Levis JCC supporter and board member Mel Gutmann’s memory and his legacy of service to the Jewish community is honored at the “Adolph & Rose Levis JCC Golf Classic.” This year’s golf tournament will be held on April 11 at the Stonebridge Golf & Country Club in Boca Raton and is presented by avid golfer Ronald A. Krancer and his wife, Evie, both committed supporters of the Jewish community.
This year Stuart Ganslaw joins Eric Gutmann as co-chair of the event, which features 18 holes of championship-like golf and a post-play reception at which some will be honored for their accomplishments on the golf course. The first-place foursome will be presented with the Mel Gutmann Award. Boca Raton Regional Hospital will be honored for their continued generous support of the Levis JCC.
The day kicks off at 10:30 a.m. with registration, a light lunch, warm-up, and a putting contest before a 12:30 p.m. tee off. Tickets for the “Golf Classic” are $300 for individual golfers; and $1,500 for “Elite” foursomes, which includes a Tee Sponsorship. Players, participants and the community can enter a raffle sponsored by David Lerner Associates, Inc. Suggested minimum donations are $75 per raffle ticket or four tickets for $250. No more than 500 tickets will be sold. The raffle drawing will be held on April 11 at the “Levis JCC Golf Classic” (entrants need not be present to win). For more information visit http://www.levisjcc.org/golf
classicraffle.
For more information on becoming a sponsor or player, contact Cindy Bergman at 561-852-3253 or cindyb@levisjcc.org. To register online visit http://www.levisjcc.org/golf. •
From www.sun-sentinel.com
